Stock-feeder



W. HUXFORD.

STOCK FEEDER APPLICATION FILED AUG-25, 1919..

Patented Dec. 9,1919.

WILLIAM HUXFORD, OF SOUTH ENGLISH, IOWA.

STOCK-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed. August 25, 1919. Serial No. 319,701.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HUXFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at South English, in the county of Keokuk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock- Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to stock-feeding apparatus, more particularly designed for the feeding of hogs, and has for its object to provide a simple feeding device whereby food in regulated quantities may be supplied to hogs automatically, the animals themselves, by agitation of the apparatus, causing an intermittent flow of food to the feeding trough.

The invention is fully described and claimed in the description and claim fol lowing, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view in perspective of my improved feeder, with broken spots to show the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same.

In the drawing, the numeral 5 denotes the feeding trough, suitably supported on sills 6. The trough may have a flat bottom, as shown, and has sides 7 of a suitable height to properly retain the food, but allow the animals mouth to reach the bottom of the trough. The ends 8 are made higher, and beveled each side at 9. At the angle, on top, is secured a rail 10, each side, which serves as an upper support for a series of inclined bars 11 separating the trough endwise into a series of stalls, the better to prevent undue crowding of the animals at feeding time. Over the middle of the trough, and inside the ends, is mounted a feed maga zine 12, preferably flared at 13, and covered,

with a roof 14c and 15, the part 15 being hinged to lift for supplying the magazine with food. A little space is left at 16, between the magazine and the rails 10, to permit movement of the ma azine a limited distance. The magazine 1s supported on two posts 17 secured to the floor, and by means of bridges 18 crossing the magazine,

and secured to it inside near each end. In

practice the posts and bridges are of metal, the upper portion of each post being threaded to receive a supporting nut 19, and the post passing through a hole in the bridge. By this means the magazine may be elevated or depressed so as to leave as much or little space between the bottom of the magazine and the floor of the trough as desired. The mounting also permits the magazine to rock sidewise a limited distance between the side rails, and this is of the greatest importance in the practical use of the appa ratus.

The action of the device is indicated in Fig. 2, wherein the dotted lines show the tilting of the magazine by the nosing action of the hogs snout. If the magazine hangs stationary, and is fixed in position, the hogs will devour all within reach of their mouths. This will extend but slightly under the edges of the magazine, and in the case of many sorts of food the flow will stop by natural packing and clogging inside the magazine. A little agitation releases it, but the poking of the animals snouts under the edge of the magazine is usually not suiiicient. But with the magazine hung so as to rocka little, the animals soon learn that by pushing the magazine itself with their noses, the food can be made to come down, mostly on the side opposite the pushing snout, of course, but as these are on both sides of the magazine, the trough each side is properly supplied.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

The described stock-feeder, comprising a trough having sides and ends, substantially as described, longitudinal rails, and inclined separating bars from the rails to the sides, a magazine, open at the bottom, and somewhat narrower than the space between said rails, and provided with inside cross-bridges, screw-threaded posts secured to the floor of the trough, and passing through said bridges and supporting and adjusting nuts under the bridges.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

WILLIAM HUXFORD.

Witnesses:

S. B. WENGER, JOHN BURKENBINE. 

